When assembling and repairing engines, it is important to achieve precise synchronisation between the operation of various mechanical components. For example, the timing of the operation of the cams that actuate the intake and exhaust valves of any engine or the timing of the operation of the injectors of a fuel injection pump in a compression ignition (diesel) engine are crucial for correct engine operation.
Engines can be designed so that the crankshaft driven cogs that drive ancillary equipment, such as the mechanical fuel injection pump of a diesel engine, are located either at the front end or the rear end of the engine. When the drive cogs are arranged at the front of the engine, they can be accessed relatively simply and proper timing can be set by ensuring that timing marks, that are provided for this purposes on the various cogs, line up with one another.
However, when ancillary equipment is driven by cogs at the rear of the engine, the transmission fitted to the engine prevents the drive cogs from being inspected or accessed and this makes it difficult to guarantee that ancillary equipment, such as a fuel injection pump, is refitted with the correct timing after it has been removed for servicing.
The present invention seeks therefore to enable precise location of an engine crankshaft during engine servicing to permit ancillary equipment to be fitted to the engine with correct timing.